Why I trim dry now. Don't believe the hype

[outwest]

I'm just not sold on this guys and gals. My dry trimmed flowers hang for 6-7 days in a fabric tent in a room kept at a steady 48-54 RH. From there they go into tupperwares at which point they rehydrate a bit and are burped a little bit for 2 weeks before going into jars for good. A buddy dry trims and my flowers crush his.

Proper drying and curing is essential, but what's way more important is every that happens while the plant is still alive. You can certainly ruin great weed while drying/curing, but you sure as hell can't magically turn crap into dank with a good cure. That's what concentrates are for. ;)

outwest

 

[sanvanalona]

OK,I've got some Tahoe Alien coming down in 2 weeks. I'll have enough to do a decent side by side. Half will get trimmed wet, half trimmed dry. I'll run some double blinds with some folks and report back to the farm. Stay tuned.

outwest

This is the only real way to find out! I think you will be super hyped when this happens!

 

[reeldrag]

I always hang the whole plant, or at least big branches if the plant is too big. It's all part of the CURING process. NOT the drying process. You will see much better quality if you let the large fan leaves dry up around the buds. I call this cocooning. Slowly drying the buds will convert harsh sugars in to more THC. That's what I was told by some old timers at least.

it will not convert into THC old timers wivestail

 

[Greyskull]

i like to take the plant while its still in the pot/container/cube/etc, clip/strip the big fan leaves off (anything showing stem.. no stem ill leave it) aka "buck it", then cut the plants at the base, and hang things up until the buds break/SNAP off of the branches - thats when things are all done drying and are ready to clean up with a quick haircut to knock off the sugar leaves that wrap around the flowers, and then hit the road.

ive done it other ways and to be honest, for me, those others way fucking suck.
but thats just for me. i was probably doing something wrong.
but whatever i am doing now is sure right. and if it aint broke dont fix it.

there are lots of ways to take the skin off the cat. you just need to find the one that suits you best.

 

[outwest]

i like to take the plant while its still in the pot/container/cube/etc, clip/strip the big fan leaves off (anything showing stem.. no stem ill leave it) aka "buck it", then cut the plants at the base, and hang things up until the buds break/SNAP off of the branches - thats when things are all done drying and are ready to clean up with a quick haircut to knock off the sugar leaves that wrap around the flowers, and then hit the road.

ive done it other ways and to be honest, for me, those others way fucking suck.
but thats just for me. i was probably doing something wrong.
but whatever i am doing now is sure right. and if it aint broke dont fix it.

there are lots of ways to take the skin off the cat. you just need to find the one that suits you best.

Agreed. Leaves on, leaves off, as long as you are methodically slowing the drying process you will get great results.

outwest

 

[putembk]

Pulled a tangerine haze this morning and did the usual thing. All fan leaves are clipped, sugar are mostly still there. Cut the major branches and hung upside down. Light fan blowing indirectly on them and am watching the r/h climb in my dry room. Should top out at the mid 60 range and start to drop. Should take about 7 to 8 days for the branches to start to snap; Smells yummy.

 

[montanamike1]

Excellent thread, just wanted to bring up the role of Oxygen:

Oxygen is required to fuel the chemical process of breaking down chlorophyll (and cannabinoid precursors) into their peak, finished state. As long as the stomata on the underside continue to take in oxygen to the spongy palanchyma (i.e. as long as respiration continues), the energy produced inside the chloroplasts of the palisade palancyma (through photosynthesis) can be used up to create CO2. Without additional sunlight, the plant stops developing chlorophyll for its' photosynthesis (which is why we dry in the dark) and begins to depend almost entirely on Calvin Cycle or "Light Independent" reactions, which allow a fuller conversion of sugar molecules into the complex chains of hydrocarbons that give each strain a distinctive scent (and ideally flavor as well). The process of jarring/bagging cannabis before complete drynesss (what some call "curing") ensures that the chemical reaction is happening uniformly throughout the buds, allowing both outside and inside the maximum amount of time to go through Calvin Cycle photosynthesis before drying completely (otherwise the outside buds have too little time and the inside ones, too much!). Packaging cannabis in nitrogen-sealed pouches is THE ONLY WAY to preserve your buds at any precise level of cure.

 

[Natural]

I know a guy in Canada that hangs whole plants then chops up the buds..puts them in a large paper bag and tosses them for a trim. lol Sounds like it would destroy the crystals, but being not fully cured they stay mostly intact. I myself don't grow enough to adopt this method, but I can submit my own success with the dry trim method. I thought it was inherent that branch trimmers operate under a rush scenario..be it out of desperation or impatience??
I think the whole plant hanging is superior not only for a better quality smoke, but buds seem to retain a more fresh composition..i.e. silky or not crumbley.

 

[Capulator]

Excellent thread, just wanted to bring up the role of Oxygen:

Oxygen is required to fuel the chemical process of breaking down chlorophyll (and cannabinoid precursors) into their peak, finished state. As long as the stomata on the underside continue to take in oxygen to the spongy palanchyma (i.e. as long as respiration continues), the energy produced inside the chloroplasts of the palisade palancyma (through photosynthesis) can be used up to create CO2. Without additional sunlight, the plant stops developing chlorophyll for its' photosynthesis (which is why we dry in the dark) and begins to depend almost entirely on Calvin Cycle or "Light Independent" reactions, which allow a fuller conversion of sugar molecules into the complex chains of hydrocarbons that give each strain a distinctive scent (and ideally flavor as well). The process of jarring/bagging cannabis before complete drynesss (what some call "curing") ensures that the chemical reaction is happening uniformly throughout the buds, allowing both outside and inside the maximum amount of time to go through Calvin Cycle photosynthesis before drying completely (otherwise the outside buds have too little time and the inside ones, too much!). Packaging cannabis in nitrogen-sealed pouches is THE ONLY WAY to preserve your buds at any precise level of cure.

Thats what I was talking about earlier when I was talking out of my ass. The sugars being broken down. . I guess not in to THC but still breaking down so final product is more tasty and less harsh. That's why I was told to hang dry. I've been hang drying for a good 15 years.

Awesome post man. You really dropped some schoolage there.

 

[putembk]

Thank you guys for telling me WHY I do it the way I do it.

 

[dirtyglovedank]

If you trim dry,I would think the trichs would start falling off.

i actually get less sticky gummed up scissors trimming dry either way your gonna lose trichs trimming , just imagine what u lose in a twister machine ..

 

[jfizzle2cmu]

Wow 6 pages of the argument huh? I'm thru the first and don't care to hear everybody's $.02, just gonna add my own and be done here. Dry trimming allows the buds to soak up the remaining nutrients and water and complete photosynthesis. And plus, I have done it both ways and even though I keep having people telling me wet trimming is faster, I don't see it one bit. Like the post author says, the leaves fall right off, not the trichs, just leaves. In the words of Ron Burgunday, it's science.

 

[baba G]

lol

 

[baba G]

I feel dry and wet trimming both have their place. If you have the team that can power through fresh wet trimming, then do it! I only cut plants at the pace they trim them, so nothing gets gooey, it's FRESH. whole plant trimmed in half hour or so...

But if you need the trim time to take much longer, dry trim as you won't be under the time gun that way. But if it takes 2 weeks to dry fresh trimmed weed imagine how long it would take on the whole plant and how much space it takes up. Many variables here, the point is, trim the way that is best for you.

 

[caregiverken]

Agreed. Leaves on, leaves off, as long as you are methodically slowing the drying process you will get great results.

outwest

yep

 

[putembk]

yep

I try to slow the process as much as I can. so the sugar leaves stay on.

 

[jfizzle2cmu]

I feel dry and wet trimming both have their place. If you have the team that can power through fresh wet trimming, then do it! I only cut plants at the pace they trim them, so nothing gets gooey, it's FRESH. whole plant trimmed in half hour or so...

But if you need the trim time to take much longer, dry trim as you won't be under the time gun that way. But if it takes 2 weeks to dry fresh trimmed weed imagine how long it would take on the whole plant and how much space it takes up. Many variables here, the point is, trim the way that is best for you.

Dry trimming takes up MUCH less space than wet trimmed bud. Hanging the whole plant takes up a roughly 3'x3' area, whereas wet trimmed bud has to hang on lines taking up a shit ton of space.

 

[jfizzle2cmu]

We argued about this before didn't we baba lol? We agreed to disagree I believe haha :cigar:. well im done w this thread now.

 

[caveman4.20]

I got it!!!! Cure plant whole then wet again to trim then your on your own from there lol

 

[baba G]

Dry trimming takes up MUCH less space than wet trimmed bud. Hanging the whole plant takes up a roughly 3'x3' area, whereas wet trimmed bud has to hang on lines taking up a shit ton of space.

Explain to me how hanging a full plant with leaves on it to dry Takes up less space then hanging branches that are fresh trimmed with no leaves on them. :confused: